A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses regarding electrical connectors and cables, and more specifically to methods and apparatus regarding a NATO slave connector designed to connect to a universal NATO slave receptacle typically found on military vehicles.
B. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art of military vehicles, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Humvee, to have a 24 volt direct current (DC) battery supply. This battery supply is typically used to provide power to various devices, such as to charge other batteries, computer systems, etc. As a result, such vehicle batteries typically have a power receptacle typically referred to as a NATO slave receptacle. It is also known to provide a NATO standardized DC slave connector that fits the NATO slave receptacle so that power can be extracted therefrom.
Many known NATO slave connectors work well for their intended purpose. They also have problems, however. These known problems include: (1) they tend to corrode easily; (2) their wiring is relatively difficult to connect; (3) they are not sufficiently durable; and (4) they tend to fray. Another problem is related to the fact that known NATO slave connectors are designed to carry large ampere (amp) loads, often 50 amps and above. These connectors are relatively large and expensive when the required amp loading is smaller.
The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for a NATO slave connector that overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.